According to the principle of sensory adaptation, we become less aware of constant exposures to unchanging stimuli. Why, then, do objects not disappear from our sight even if we continue to stare at them?

Question

Social Studies

Demarion

4 May, 10:34

According to the principle of sensory adaptation, we become less aware of constant exposures to unchanging stimuli. Why, then, do objects not disappear from our sight even if we continue to stare at them?

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Answers (1)

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Carley Harrell · Answer 1

Even if we seem to hold our gaze, our eyes move constantly.

Explanation:

According to the old saying, the eyes are windows into the soul, revealing deep emotions that we might otherwise want to hide. Although modern science precludes the existence of the soul, it does suggest that there is a kernel of truth in this saying: it turns out the eyes not only reflect what is happening in the brain but may also influence how we remember things and make decisions.

Our eyes are constantly moving, and while some of those movements are under conscious control, many of them occur subconsciously. When we read, for instance, we make a series of very quick eye movements called saccades that fixate rapidly on one word after another. When we enter a room, we make larger sweeping saccades as we gaze around. Then there are the small, involuntary eye movements we make as we walk, to compensate for the movement of our head and stabilise our view of the world. And, of course, our eyes dart around during the 'rapid eye movement' (REM) phase of sleep.